John's World..As Advertised...


Browse through online reviews for Bangalore Palace and you will find phrases like “money gouging goons-DO NOT VISIT”, “palace not in good state”, and “rude guards, waste of time”.  Do another search of Bangalore “sights to see” and you will always see the palace pop up.  The Tudor-style architecture and manicured gardens seem to invite you like a Kensington Palace or Neuschwanstein Castle.  It’s so iconic to this city that they put it on the logo for the local football club. 

Like a lot of modern travelers, I’ve become a review vulture.  I sit and wait for some carcass of a review to appear so that I can reject a restaurant, place to stay, or landmark.  Work your way through some reviews and you will certainly find places to avoid.  No doubt.  What I have found however is that it’s important to “review the reviewer”.  Look at their history or submissions.  What kind of traveler are they?  Demanding?  Ignorant?  Negative?  On more than one occasion I’ve searched and found that some people have the tendency to fall into that category of simply being a bad traveler and writing scathing reviews. 

We decided to throw caution to the wind Sunday and simply go see the palace. 

Completely worth it. 

Anyone who has been to Kensington Palace will appreciate that you are in an actual royal residence (in this case the UMass-Amherst educated Wadiyar of Mysore).  Some of the palace is of course then off limits but a fair amount is open to the public to peruse.   The palace is made up of several interior courtyards, large halls, and small side rooms featuring riches gathered from the silk trade dominating Mysore dynasty.  The garden in the front was well maintained with flowers in bloom everywhere.




Not a waste of time. 

The lesson learned through the trip was not just simply about the Mysore Dynasty royal family but rather about being a responsible consumer of information when traveling.  Read reviews, scrutinize reviewers, but most of all EXPLORE. 


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